DC transformer with an output inductance integrated on a magnetic core thereof and a DC/DC converter employing the same

ABSTRACT

A DC/DC converter includes an input filter, a half-bridge converter without PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control function, a synchronous rectifier, an output capacitor, and a DC transformer. The DC transformer includes a magnetic core, a primary winding, a first secondary winding, and a second secondary winding. The magnetic core of the DC transformer includes a first leg, a second leg having a first air gap, and a third leg having a second air gap. The first secondary winding is wound on the first leg and the second leg, and induces a first inductance by the first air gap. The second secondary winding is wound on the first leg and the third leg, and induces a second inductance by the second air gap.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a DC transformer, and moreparticularly to a DC transformer with an output inductance integrated ona magnetic core thereof and a DC/DC converter employing the same.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A typical transformer has a magnetic core and two insulated windings.When an alternating current flows to a primary winding, magnetic fluxlines perpendicular to the windings in the magnetic core provide avoltage in a secondary winding, the voltage being directly proportionalto the number of windings of the secondary winding. Therefore, with anappropriate winding number, a desired voltage can be obtained.

Referring to FIG. 11, this is a schematic diagram of a prior art DC/DCconverter 11. The DC/DC converter 11 includes a DC transformer 10. TheDC transformer 10 includes a primary winding and a secondary windingwound around a magnetic core 12. The primary winding receives an inputvoltage V_(in) through an input filter 14 and a half-bridge converterwithout PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control function 41, while thesecondary winding outputs a voltage V_(o) provided by the magnetic core12 of the DC transformer 10 through a synchronous rectifier 42 and anoutput filter 16. If a turn ratio between the primary winding and thesecondary winding is N, and the duty cycle of the DC transformer 10 isD, the output voltage V_(o) can be expressed by V_(o)=(D/2N)V_(in).

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the magnetic core 12 and the primaryand secondary windings of the DC transformer 10. The DC transformer 10includes a primary winding 13, a first secondary winding 15, and asecond secondary winding 17. The magnetic core 12 is an EE type core,which includes three legs (Leg1, Leg2, Leg3). The winding operation forthe primary winding may be performed by winding the primary windingeither around a first leg (Leg1), or around a second leg (Leg2) and athird leg (Leg3). The primary winding 13 shown in FIG. 12 is woundaround Leg1. Correspondingly, the secondary winding can be wound indifferent manners. The secondary winding shown in FIG. 12 is woundaround Leg1, with a portion of the secondary winding being extracted outfrom either side of a center tap 16. The first secondary winding 15 andthe second secondary winding 17 are thereby formed.

FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram of the DC/DC converter 11 of FIG. 11. TheDC/DC converter 11 includes the input filter 14 (C1, L1), thehalf-bridge converter without PWM control function 41 (capacitors C2,C3, switches Q1, Q2), the DC transformer 10, the synchronous rectifier42 (switches Q3, Q4), and the output filter 16 (inductor L2, capacitanceC4). The DC transformer 10 includes the magnetic core 12, the primarywinding 13, the first secondary winding 15, the second secondary winding17, and an auxiliary winding 19. The input filter 14 is used to filterthe input voltage V_(in). The primary winding 13 is connected to thehalf-bridge converter without PWM control function 41 (formed by theswitches Q1, Q2 and the capacitors C2, C3), wherein the half-bridgeconverter 41 is used for driving the DC transformer 10. The firstsecondary winding 15 and the second secondary winding 17 arerespectively connected to the switches Q3 and Q4 of the synchronousrectifier 42. The auxiliary winding 19 provides an operation voltage forthe switches Q3 and Q4. The output filter 16 comprises the outputinductor L2 and the output capacitance C4, and is used for filtering thevoltage provided by the DC transformer 10, resulting in an outputvoltage V_(o).

Usually, the above-described DC transformer includes an output filterprovided by an output inductance and an output capacitor, forsuppressing noise persisting in the output voltage. However, the outputinductance may occupy a large area on a printed circuit board. Theoutput inductance also has a tendency to dissipate power, which lowersthe efficiency of power transformation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to providea DC transformer with an output inductance integrated on the magneticcore to obviate the above problems.

It is another objective of the claimed invention to provide a DC/DCconverter employing the above-described DC transformer.

According to the claimed invention, the DC transformer comprises: amagnetic core having air gaps therein; a primary winding wound aroundthe magnetic core; a first secondary winding wound around the magneticcore for generating a first inductance by a first air gap of themagnetic core; and a second secondary winding wound around the magneticcore for generating a second inductance by a second air gap of themagnetic core.

The DC/DC converter of the claimed invention comprises: an input filter;a half-bridge converter without PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controlfunction; the above-described DC transformer with an integrated outputinductor; a synchronous rectifier; and an output capacitor connected tothe first secondary winding, a center tap of the second secondarywinding, and the synchronous rectifier.

These and other objectives of the claimed invention will become obviousto those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the followingdetailed description of preferred embodiments, which are illustrated andelucidated in the various figures and drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an inventive DC/DC converter, whichcomprises a DC transformer;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a magnetic core and windings of the DCtransformer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the DC/DC converter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of the DC/DC converter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram of the output voltage of a prior DC/DCconverter illustrated in FIG. 11;

FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram of the output voltage of the DC/DCconverter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an EE type magnetic core according tothe present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an EI type magnetic core according tothe present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an EQ type magnetic core according tothe present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an RM type magnetic core according tothe present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a prior DC/DC converter, whichcomprises a DC transformer;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a magnetic core and windings of the DCtransformer of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram of the DC/DC converter of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENTINVENTION

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a DC/DCconverter 40 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. The DC/DC converter 40 comprises a DC transformer 20 having amagnetic core 22 therein. The magnetic core 22 comprises a primarywinding and two secondary windings, wherein the primary winding receivesan input voltage V_(in) through an input filter 24. The DC/DC converter40 also comprises a half-bridge converter without PWM control function43 and a synchronous rectifier 44. The most significant differencebetween the inventive DC transformer 20 and the prior DC transformer 10is that an output inductance which serves as a part of the outputcircuit of the DC/DC converter 40 is integrated into the magnetic core22, so that voltage from the secondary winding of the magnetic core 22,after being rectified with the synchronous rectifier 44, is filtered byan output filter 26 that comprises a capacitor only. As a result, anoutput voltage V_(o) is obtained.

Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a schematic diagram of the magneticcore 22 and the primary and secondary windings of the DC transformer 20.An EE type magnetic core 22 is shown by way of example. In principle,the secondary winding of the magnetic core 22 is wound around a leg ofthe magnetic core 22 which has a gap for generating an equivalentinductance, so as to integrate an output inductance into the magneticcore 22 of the DC transformer 20. The EE type magnetic core 22 includesthree legs (Leg1, Leg2, Leg3). A small first gap 34 and second gap 36are respectively integrated in a second leg (Leg2) and a third leg(Leg3), while a primary winding 28 is wound around a first leg (Leg1).Additionally, the secondary winding is also wound around the first leg(Leg1), while a portion of the secondary winding is extracted fromeither side of a center tap to form a first secondary winding 30 and asecond secondary winding 32. Part of the first secondary winding 30 isalso wound around the second leg (Leg2), and part of the secondsecondary winding 32 is also wound around the third leg (Leg3), so as togenerate an equivalent inductance.

Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a circuit diagram of the inventiveDC/DC converter 40. The input filter 24 includes an input inductor L1and an input capacitor C1 for filtering an input voltage V_(in). Theprimary winding 28 connects to a half-bridge converter without PWMcontrol function 43 (capacitors C2, C3, switches Q1, Q2), which is usedto drive the DC transformer 20. The first secondary winding 30 and thesecond secondary winding 32 are connected to two switches Q3 and Q4 ofthe synchronous rectifier 44 respectively. An auxiliary winding 38provides power for the switches Q3 and Q4. The output filter 26 includesonly one output capacitor C4 for filtering voltage provided by the DCtransformer 20. The first secondary winding 30 and the second secondarywinding 32 wound around the magnetic core 22 can be regarded as beingrespectively connected to a first equivalent inductance L21 and a secondequivalent inductance L22, which are generated by virtue of the air gaps34, 36 of the magnetic core 22 and respectively serve as two outputinductances of the first and second secondary windings 30, 32.Therefore, the output filter 26 requires only one output capacitor C4 inorder to process the voltage provided by the DC transformer 20.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a waveform diagram of the DC/DCconverter 40 of FIG. 3. From top to bottom in FIG. 4, the first waveformillustrates a control signal of the switch Q1, the second waveformillustrates a control signal of the switch Q2, the third waveformillustrates a terminal voltage V_(p) of the primary winding, the fourthwaveform illustrates a synchronous rectification voltage V_(os), and thefifth and final waveform illustrates an output voltage V_(o). Theswitches Q1 and Q2 are working in complementary mode, and their dutycycles are close to 50%. That is, when the switch Q1 is turned on, theswitch Q2 is turned off. The operations of the DC/DC converter 40 can bedivided into four stages. The first stage of operation can becharacterized by allowing the switch Q1 to be turned on and allowing theswitch Q2 to be turned off. Thus, the voltage from the primary winding28 is coupled to the first secondary winding 30 through the magneticcore 22, and the magnetization energy is stored in the first equivalentinductance L21. Then, as the switch Q2 is about to change its state fromOFF to ON, the operation of the DC/DC converter 40 needs to enter asecond stage of operation by allowing the switch Q1 and Q2 to be turnedoff, so as to prevent the occurrence of a contingency that the switchesQ1 and Q2 are turned on simultaneously, which may cause serious circuitdamage. During the second stage, both switches Q1 and Q2 remain OFF fora duration T_(d), which is referred to as “dead time.” During the deadtime period, the primary winding 28 of the DC transformer 20 provides nomagnetization energy to be coupled to the first secondary winding 30 andthe second secondary winding 32, and the first secondary winding 30transmits the magnetization energy stored in the first equivalentinductance L21 to the output capacitor 26. Subsequently, a third stageof operation is entered, which is characterized by allowing the switchQ1 to be turned off and allowing the switch Q2 to be turned on, so thatthe voltage of the primary winding 28 is coupled to the second secondarywinding 32 through the magnetic core 22, causing the second secondarywinding 32 to store magnetization energy in the second equivalentinductance L22. For the same reason as described above, as the switch Q1changes its state from ON to OFF, the operation of the DC/DC converter40 proceeds to a fourth stage of operation in which the switches Q1 andQ2 are both turned off, so as to prevent the occurrence of a contingencythat the switches Q1 and Q2 are turned on simultaneously, which maycause serious circuit damage. After the fourth stage is completed, thecycle starts again from the first stage.

Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, which respectively show simulationsof the waveforms of the output voltages of the prior art DC/DC converter11 and of the inventive DC/DC converter 40. In FIG. 5, the input voltageV_(in)=48V, the output voltage V_(o)=5V, the output current I_(o)=10 A,the peak-to-peak ripple value of the output voltage=42 mV, and theoutput efficiency=90%. In FIG. 6, the input voltage V_(in)=48V, theoutput voltage V_(o)=5V, the output current I_(o)=10 A, the peak-to-peakripple value of the output voltage=31.9 mV, and the outputefficiency=90.5%. Therefore, as can be understood from the simulatedstatistics, the inventive DC transformer 20 can decrease thepeak-to-peak ripple value of the output voltage, and increase the outputefficiency of the DC/DC converter 40.

Please refer to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, which respectively are schematicdiagrams of EE type and EI type magnetic cores according to the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, in practical application, eachof the magnetic cores includes three air gaps that can be producedeasily, and therefore the manufacturing cost of each magnetic core canbe lowered. In addition to the EE and the EI type magnetic cores, themagnetic core can be of EQ type as shown in FIG. 9, or of RM type as inFIG. 10. The dimension of each air gap of the magnetic core is between0.02 mm and 0.07 mm.

In summary, the secondary winding of the DC transformer is wound aroundthe legs of an EE, EI, EQ, or RM type magnetic core having air gaps forgenerating equivalent inductance, so that the noise persisting in theoutput voltage can be suppressed by the DC transformer without the needfor an additional output inductance. This kind of DC transformer with anintegrated inductance can downsize a power supply apparatus, reduceinductance loss, and further increase the power conversion efficiencyand power density of the DC/DC converter.

The inventive DC transformer 20 integrates the output inductance intothe magnetic core 22, wherein the magnetic core 22 is provided with airgaps and different winding configurations for the secondary winding. Incomparison, the prior art DC/DC converter 11 must include the outputinductance on a PCB for suppressing output noise, which occupies morearea on the PCB and further increases power loss.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerousmodifications and alterations of the device may be made while retainingthe teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure shouldbe construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appendedclaims.

1. A DC transformer comprising a magnetic core having air gaps therein;a primary winding wound around the magnetic core; a first secondarywinding wound around the magnetic core for generating a first inductanceby a first air gap of the magnetic core; and a second secondary windingwound around the magnetic core for generating a second inductance by asecond air gap of the magnetic core.
 2. The DC transformer of claim 1,wherein the dimension of each air gap of the magnetic core is between0.02 and 0.07 mm.
 3. The DC transformer of claim 1, wherein the magneticcore is of an EE, EI, EQ or RM type.
 4. The DC transformer of claim 1,wherein the magnetic core comprises a first leg, a second leg, and athird leg.
 5. The DC transformer of claim 4, wherein the second legcomprises a first air gap, the first secondary winding being woundaround the first leg and the second leg for generating the firstinductance by the first gap.
 6. The DC transformer of claim 4, whereinthe third leg comprises a second air gap, the second secondary windingbeing wound around the first leg and the third leg for generating thesecond inductance by the second gap.
 7. The DC transformer of claim 4,wherein the primary winding is wound around the first leg.
 8. The DCtransformer of claim 4, wherein the first leg comprises a third air gap.9. The DC transformer of claim 4, wherein the first leg has no air gap.10. A DC/DC converter comprising: an input filter; a half-bridgeconverter without PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control function; a DCtransformer with an integrated output inductor, comprising: a magneticcore having air gaps and comprising a first leg, a second leg having afirst air gap, and a third leg having a second air gap; a primarywinding wound around the first leg; a first secondary winding woundaround the first leg and the second leg for generating a firstinductance by the first air gap; and a second secondary winding woundaround the first leg and the third leg for generating a secondinductance by the second air gap; a synchronous rectifier; and an outputcapacitor connected to the first secondary winding, a center tap of thesecond secondary winding, and the synchronous rectifier.
 11. The DC/DCconverter of claim 10, wherein the dimension of each air gap of themagnetic core is between 0.02 and 0.07 mm.
 12. The DC/DC converter ofclaim 10, wherein the magnetic core is of an EE, EI, EQ or RM type. 13.The DC/DC converter of claim 10, wherein the first leg comprises a thirdgap.
 14. The DC/DC converter of claim 10, wherein the first leg has noair gap.
 15. A direct current (DC) transformer comprising: a primarywinding for current input of said DC transformer; a magnetic core havingat least one gap formed therein; a secondary winding wound around saidmagnetic core for current output of said DC transformer and generatinginductance influence on said current output due to said at least one gapof said magnetic core.
 16. The DC transformer of claim 15, furthercomprising another magnetic core used to have said primary and secondarywinding wound therearound respectively.
 17. The DC transformer of claim15, wherein said at least one gap is sized significantly smaller thanother portion of said magnetic core.